


The Universe's Shifting Gears

by einsKai



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Doctor!Riku, Drunk Texting, GakuTenn Jesus Kai breaking the bread once again, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Novelist!Gaku, Nurse!Ryuu, Rain, Ryuu for best bro award 2k18, Ryuu is the best friend ever, Self-Indulgent, Strangers to Lovers, Texting, Trains, Written for TennGaku day 2k18, and my tags are a mess as always, commuting, idk how much though but they're old enough to be working in their jobs, iyashikei, office worker!Tenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-02 20:32:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15804072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/einsKai/pseuds/einsKai
Summary: Parallel lines would represent their lives very well.Fourty-seven minutes of quiet companionship, fourty-seven minutes of Gaku’s time being stolen by the – admittedly intriguing and beautiful – stranger.This Friday evening didn’t seem different from the other days.Until the gears shifted.





	The Universe's Shifting Gears

**Author's Note:**

> Happy TennGaku day!
> 
> Obviously it is my duty as the GakuTenn Jesus to write something for this wonderful day~
> 
> I tried an approach on more mature (realistic?) relationships this time, so tell me what you think!
> 
> Have fun reading!

Gaku sat in the car of the train he always took. It was always the same train at the same time, the same car and the same seat.

He liked the sense of routine he got from this, paired with the everchanging faces of people around him. Office workers, students, elderly people, mothers with their children, friends on their way to an outing… Gaku drank up the people’s presences like he was a dying man in a desert without water and the people around him were the life spending liquid. He used the stories that presented itself to him on a daily basis for his own novels. The train rides had never failed to provide him with new muses after a long day of writing draining the inspiration of the last evening and night.

Most people didn’t bother taking the same car everyday – it simply didn’t matter to them.

‘Most people’, because Gaku knew at least one more person who also took the same train and the same car at the same time every day, someone who always sat in the same seat.

Opposite of him, on the other window seat in this compartment, sat a man.

He had light hair, a pinkish tone that was so light one could mistake it for an illusion of light in white hair, eyes in a deeper pink. He was always dressed in a shirt and a suit jacket with fitting pants and shoes. Only on occasion he wore ties, which Gaku found particularly interesting. Did he only wear them when he felt like it? When there was a meeting with clients? When his employer was in the office? So many questions and Gaku would have to answer all of them by himself.

The man seemed to be an office worker of some sorts, because he got on the train at a station near a part of the city where a lot of office buildings were located. His clothes fit that occupation as well.

The time they shared on the train was always the same too – the trains didn’t run into complications very often. After forty-seven minutes the office worker would always get up from his seat and get off the train in a residential area. They never talked to each other, but they acknowledged each other’s presences with a nod.

Like clockwork this cycle repeated itself every day of the week, the weekends not included, because Gaku took those off.

Parallel lines would represent their lives very well, Gaku mused, at least the part of the train rides. Fourty-seven minutes of quiet companionship, fourty-seven minutes of Gaku’s time being stolen by the – admittedly intriguing and beautiful – stranger, when Gaku watched him from time to time, reading a book, answering texts or emails on his phone, or, on rare occasions, staring out of the window, to see grey concrete buildings and black power lines pass by the window, starkly contrasting against the evening sky, often illuminated by the magnificent red, yellow, pink, and orange hues of the setting sun.

This Friday evening didn’t seem different from the other days. Gaku was sitting in his train, notebook and pen out, to write down all inspiration he got from watching the people on the train.

The train was fuller than normal, Gaku noticed. A young woman sat down opposite of Gaku one station before the man would get on.  
He felt a slight disappointment that the man wouldn’t get to sit in front of him today. He wrote the feeling onto a new page of the notebook in his lap.  
A disruption of routine was always a good start for a story.

The train came to a halt and the doors opened with the familiar sliding sound. Some left, some got on, the man Gaku had been anticipating one of them.

He looked extremely tired today, more than normal. His shirt and suit jacket were crumbled, his hair was dishevelled, his steps seemed heavier than usual, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

“Excuse me”, he said, his voice surprising Gaku. He had never had the pleasure of hearing the man talk before. The voice was pleasant to listen to; Gaku liked it, “Is this seat occupied?”

Gaku smiled at the stranger politely and shook his head.

“No, it’s not occupied. Well, now it is I guess”, he said, “By you.”

“Thank you”, the man mumbled and sat down.

When the train began moving again Gaku noticed something shift. Something other than his routine had changed, the gears of the universe turning in a different way. Gaku felt a sense of premonition from the moment.  
Something would be different from now on.

Gaku’s mind turned back to the man who was sitting next to him.

On other days he would have looked out of the window or read a book, but today he just sighed deeply and closed his eyes. He really was exhausted.

Within a minute his breathing evened out and Gaku wondered what kind of work had caused utter fatigue like this. Maybe he hadn’t slept well the night before and the workload had been immense, so he hadn’t had time to take a break. Maybe his employer had made him hold a meeting with clients who made him uncomfortable and had drained his social batteries like vampires sucked blood. Maybe he was actually a knight of the secret organisation that was defending the country against magical attacks and had fought a very dangerous monster today, maybe a dragon…  
No, that was the novel Gaku was writing at the moment. He should add a character whose cover was an office worker…

Deeply in thought Gaku almost didn’t notice that the slight swaying of the train had made the sleeping man next to him tilt. Their arms were pressed together now, the weight lighter than Gaku would have expected, even though the man was clearly leaning against him without restraint. With the next sway of the train the man’s head lolled over, so that he was resting on Gaku’s shoulder.

He was beautiful, Gaku observed, even more than he had known him to be from his previous observations. Up close he could see the long lashes that were of the same colour as his hair. The slightly parted lips were beautiful too… His whole face was a wonderful composition, even with the dark circles under his eyes it didn’t lose any of its splendour. Gaku thought about using this man as inspiration for his next heroine, but when he tried to write it down he realised that he would have to move – which would risk waking the man up.  
Gaku didn’t want to wake him without a good reason; he seemed to need the sleep.

Thus Gaku just sat there, a sleeping beauty on his shoulder.

From station to station the train emptied out. The young woman who had been sitting on the man’s usual seat was gone already.

Only when the name of the station at which the stranger usually exited the train popped up on the display Gaku moved again.

Carefully he shook the man’s shoulder to wake him.

An owlish blinking greeted him when the man woke up, only slowly realizing in what kind of position they were in. Blushing he jerked back and opened his mouth, probably to apologize, but Gaku interrupted him:

“It’s alright”, he said, “I just thought you might want to be awake for your stop.”

The train came to a halt and the man got up, grabbing his bag and leaving the train with a quickly mumbled “thank you”.

Gaku was smiling to himself. Now he was sure of it. Something really would be different from now on.

He was looking forward to Monday.

 

**Friday, 7 th of September**

**8:44pm**

**From:**  Gaku

 **To:** Ryuu

You won’t believe what happened today

 

****8:45pm** **

**From:**  Ryuu

 **To:** Gaku

Is it in any way related to that stranger you can’t shut up about?

 

**8:48pm**

**From:** Gaku

 **To:** Ryuu

How did you guess that?  
Well, anyway, he sat next to me today instead of opposite, because someone else sat there. And he fell asleep on me, on the train

 

**8:50pm**

**From:**  Ryuu

 **To:** Gaku

I hope he’s taking care of himself properly (╯︵╰,)

 

**8:52pm**

**From:** Gaku  

 **To:** Ryuu

Your inner nurse is showing~  
He was really cute sleeping like that. I’m thinking of making him a character…

 

**8:52pm**

**From:** Ryuu 

 **To:** Gaku

Take him out for dinner first.

 

**8:53pm**

**From:** Gaku 

 **To:** Ryuu

What’s that supposed to mean?

 

**8:55pm**

**From:** Ryuu 

 **To:** Gaku

Whenever you have a crush you make them into characters and never talk to them again. Take care of yourself more, Gaku. You know you’re a romantic, instead of writing about it you should just go and live some of these fantasies.

 

**8:56pm**

**From:** Ryuu 

 **To:** Gaku

Maybe not the one with the chimera though (￣▽￣*)ゞ

 

Monday evening came quicker than Gaku expected it to. He sat on the same train, in the same car, at the same time, in the same seat – as always.  
But still – once again the seat opposite of him was occupied by someone who wasn’t the stranger, while the seat right next to him was empty.

The man got onto the train at his usual station and, when he found his usual seat occupied, looked around for another. Gaku raised his hand and waved at him. In recognition he nodded and made his way to the compartment.

“Good evening”, the man said and Gaku returned the greeting.

 

**Monday, 9 th of September**

**8:45pm**

**From:** Gaku 

 **To:** Ryuu

We sat next to each other today again. He’s reading a book on proper care of cats.  
I wonder if he has a cat. Maybe he wants one?

 

**8:49pm**

**From:** Ryuu       

 **To:** Gaku

(=^･ｪ･^=)

 

They sat next to each other every day from then on. The usual seat for the man had naturally shifted from the opposite seat to the one next to him.

Apart from greetings and goodbyes they didn’t really talk, but Gaku found himself not minding that. It was comfortable, and seeing the different kinds of books the man was reading was telling about his personality already.

 

**Wednesday, 19 th of September**

**8:56pm**

**From:** Gaku                           

 **To:** Ryuu

He finished the last book, now he’s reading a poem collection about spring

 

**8:58pm**

**From:** Ryuu                         

 **To:** Gaku

He’s collecting warmth and beauty for the winter, like that mouse

 

**9:00pm**

**From:** Gaku 

 **To:** Ryuu

I wish that was possible

 

**9:01pm**

**From:** Ryuu                                 

 **To:** Gaku

You’d just collect strangers from trains then

 

**9:03pm**

**From:** Gaku                                                            

 **To:** Ryuu

Oh shut up

 

**9:04pm**

**From:** Ryuu 

 **To:** Gaku

┐(￣∀￣)┌

**Tuesday, 25 th of September**

**8:47pm**

**From:** Gaku                                                            

 **To:** Ryuu

Now he’s reading one of my books.  
Good taste.

 

**8:54pm**

**From:** Ryuu  

 **To:** Gaku

(ᵔ.ᵔ)

 

Quicker than Gaku had thought almost a month had passed. They had been sitting next to each other for a long time now, but despite still not having talked Gaku enjoyed the other man’s company.

“Good evening”, he was greeted when the man sat down next to him. Gaku returned the greeting.

For once he didn’t seem to have a book with him and Gaku felt something shift again. Something was different again, something would happen.

His intuition was right.

“Say”, the man began, looking at Gaku. His voice really was just as beautiful as his face, “You’re always writing.”

“I am”, Gaku said and grinned a little, “And you’re reading a lot.”

The man sighed, obviously already annoyed by him: “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know”, internally Gaku couldn’t help but scold himself for already talking like this and possibly ruining the only chance he had at talking to the man. Though… Teasing was a sign of affection after all, wasn’t it?

“Now I wish I hadn’t started this conversation.”

“You have though, now you have to talk to me.”

Even though the sigh was exasperated, Gaku couldn’t help but feel that it was cute too.

“What are you writing then?”

“I take this train for people-watching”, Gaku answered, seriously this time, “People inspire me and I write everything down so I can use it later.”

“You’re a novelist then”, the man asked, curious now.

“You’re correct”, Gaku said.

 

**Friday, 5 th of October**

**8:39pm**

**From:** Gaku                                                            

 **To:** Ryuu

Let’s hope he doesn’t find out who I am, good that I have a penname.

 

The man introduced himself on the next Monday: “We’ve been sitting next to each other for so long now, but I never introduced myself. My name is Kujou Tenn.”

“Nice to meet you”, Gaku said and shook the offered hand, “My name is Yaotome Gaku.”

**Monday, 8 th of October**

**8:46pm**

**From:** Gaku                                                            

 **To:** Ryuu

His name is Kujou Tenn. Maybe he is that famous heir to the Kujou empire?  
It would fit his clothes and the station…  
Guess we both can’t really talk about our occupations.

**8:53pm**

**From:** Ryuu 

 **To:** Gaku

Is your next novel going to be a mysterious train romance then? ♡ (￣З￣)

 

They began talking more and more, and Gaku learned more about Kujou Tenn the longer October lasted.

 

**Wednesday, 10 th of October**

**8:57pm**

**From:** Gaku                    

 **To:** Ryuu

He prefers cats over dogs

**Tuesday, 16 th of October**

**8:47pm**

**From:** Gaku                                                            

 **To:** Ryuu

His favourite food is donuts and he doesn’t like ginger. And he’s not a fan of alcohol either.

**Thursday, 18 th of October**

**8:41pm**

**From:** Gaku                                                            

 **To:** Ryuu

His favourite books are murder mysteries, but he reads anything his younger twin brother recommends.

**8:43pm**

**From:** Gaku                                                            

 **To:** Ryuu

His brother also recommended my book. I asked him about it, and he said ‘The fantasy aspects were alright even though they were quite predictable, but the romance was way too cheesy. I gave the book 5/10 stars on my blog.

**8:44pm**

**From:** Gaku                                                            

 **To:** Ryuu

He has a blog where he reviews books

**8:44pm**

**From:** Gaku

 **T** **o:** Ryuu

That’s endearing, isn’t it

**8:52pm**

**From:** Ryuu

 **To:** Gaku

Just invite him out for dinner already. And stop texting me, my colleagues alarmed me that something urgent may be going on because my phone was blowing up. I have patients to tend to Gaku, I’ll listen to your love life later.

**Monday, 22 nd of October**

**8:34pm**

**From:** Gaku          

 **To:** Ryuu

That nitwit prefers showering over bathing. Bathing is obviously superior! You can relax, think, listen to music or audiobooks, you could read…. Showering is just quicker, that’s all.

**Wednesday, 24 th of October**

**8:42pm**

**From:** Gaku              

 **To:** Ryuu

He likes to order complicated coffees with differently flavoured syrups and sprinkles and things like that. He also likes milk tea.

**8:43pm**

**From:** Gaku                  

 **To:** Ryuu

When I said he had a surprisingly sweet tongue for someone with a bitter personality like his he kicked me. Cute.

**Friday, 26 th of October**

**8:31pm**

**From:** Gaku                

 **To:** Ryuu

WHO EATS PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA?!?!?

 

**Sunday, 28 th of October**

**1:42am**

**From:** Gaku            

 **To:** Ryuu

i want to gkiss kujou tenn

**1:46am**

**From:** Ryuu                                                            

 **To:** Gaku

Are you drunk?

**1:46am**

**From:** Gaku                                                                                                                                      
**To:** Ryuu

maybe

**1:46am**

**From:** Gaku                                                                                                                                      
**To:** Ryuu

a little

**1:46am**

**From:** Gaku                                                                                                                                      
**To:** Ryuu

i wfanna kibss him

**1:48am**

**From:** Ryuu                                                                                                                                      
**To:** Gaku

Gaku, drink some water, eat something and put painkillers next to your bed. I’ll be there in the morning, then we can talk about how much you want to kiss Kujou Tenn.

**1:48am**

**From:** Gaku                                                                                                                                      
**To:** Ryuu

how will yuou get into gmy apartgment though

**1:49am**

**From:** Ryuu                                                                                                                                      
**To:** Gaku

Gaku, we’re roommates.

**1:49am**

**From:** Gaku                                                                                                                                      
**To:** Ryuu

oh right

 

The first week of November started off rainy, and Gaku was glad that he owned a wonderful raincoat that kept him dry and warm.

When Tenn came onto the train he was _drenched_.  
His shirt had become half transparent and he had put his suit jacket in his bag, to stop it from getting wet too. His hair was plastered to his head like his clothes were sticking to his body.

“Didn’t you look at the weather forecast?”, Gaku greeted him.

“I did”, Tenn grumbled, “But out of the goodness of my heart I gave my umbrella away to a poor little girl in need.”

“Tenn the Samaritan?”, Gaku laughed, “There’s no way that happened.”

“Yeah”, Tenn said and sat down. He didn’t lean into the seat too much, as to prevent the fabric of the seat to get wet too, “Someone took mine by mistake and now I don’t have it, so I got wet.”

Gaku grew silent for a moment, thinking. Tenn next to him shivered from the cold in the train and in his wet clothes.

“You can take my coat”, Gaku said then, sighing, “And you should take that shirt off as soon as possible.”

“You’re giving me your coat?”, Tenn asked, surprise obvious in his voice, “Do you want the both of us to get sick?”

“I’ll text my roommate; he can pick me up from the station with our car.”

“You have a car? Why do you take the train then…?”

“My studio is in the same area he works in. He’s a nurse. In the mornings I take the car to go to my studio and he takes it to drive back home”, Gaku explained, “But more importantly, take the coat now.”

He had taken the coat off anyway, because it would get too warm on the train otherwise, and handed it to Tenn, not after taking his phone, wallet and keys out of the pockets.

Tenn covered himself with the coat until he had taken his shirt off. Gaku caught a glimpse of Tenn’s shoulder, but quickly looked away, onto his phone, the chat with Ryuu opened.

**Monday, 5 th of November**

**8:09pm**

**From:** Gaku                                                                                                                                      
**To:** Ryuu

Can you pick me up at the station? Tenn is drenched so I’m giving him my coat.

 

The reply came faster than he had expected it to be. He would have thought that Ryuu would be sleeping for his early shift this night.

 

**8:10pm**

**From:** Ryuu                                                                                                                                      
**To:** Gaku

He really has you wrapped around his finger σ(≧ε≦σ) ♡

 

**8:10pm**

**From:** Gaku                                                                                                                                      
**To:** Ryuu

I offered. Can you or can’t you?

 

**8:12pm**

**From:** Ryuu                                                                                                                                      
**To:** Gaku

I’m on my way

 

When Gaku turned away from the phone he was greeted by the sight of Tenn drowning in his coat. He had been aware that he was taller than Tenn, and that his coat wouldn’t be Tenn’s size, but that Tenn would look like a toddler trying on his father’s clothes…

“You’re cute”, Gaku said, and Tenn’s expression that had been a mixture of relaxation and thankfulness changed to an angry one. The anger was weakened by the happy flush that remained on his cheeks.

“I’m not cute”, he grumbled and hid his face in the collar of the coat. The mixture of embarrassment and trying to look threatening while also enjoying the warmth made Tenn even more endearing.

“Sorry”, Gaku laughed, “This isn’t working. I just want to pick you up and cuddle you.”

“Then maybe you should just _do_ that”, Tenn spat from behind the collar.

They realised what exactly Tenn had just said at the same time and Gaku felt the need to say something, _anything_ , to release the tension that was uncomfortably hanging between them, but before he could open his mouth, Tenn held his hand up.

“If you say anything right now I will kill you.”

“Brat”, Gaku mumbled, but followed his order. He had already experienced a lot of Tenn’s murderous gazes, but this one, layered with embarrassment, was especially threatening.

In silence they waited until the train arrived at the station where Tenn had to get off. Gaku waved goodbye to both his acquaintance and his coat.

 

Ryuu laughed at him when he sat down on the passenger seat of the car they shared.

“You look like you took a shower with your clothes.”

“I basically did”, Gaku gritted his teeth and took the towel Ryuu, ever the thoughtful one, offered him, “But if Tenn gets home without having to drown I’m fine.”

“It really looks like you could drown out there”, Ryuu stared through the windshield and squinted, to still see something, despite the downpour and the wipers working at the highest pace.

Within a few minutes they had safely arrived at the apartment complex where they shared an apartment. Gaku thanked Ryuu for dropping him off and went upstairs, while Ryuu left the car and walked back to the train station to go to the hospital he worked at. Of course, Ryuu had an umbrella. He wouldn’t forget his, even though he’d be more at risk to give it away to someone who needed it more than him than Tenn.

Soaking in the bathtub, Gaku almost fell asleep, thinking about that thing Tenn had said.

Should he actually make a move?

 

Gears shifting again awoke Gaku from his dreams. He stared at the glowing numbers of the alarm clock on the bedside table. 4:26am was early enough to go to sleep again, but Gaku didn’t feel like sleeping for some reason. Instead he got up and sat down on his rarely used desk and got a fresh sheet of paper, the good one and began writing.

 

On the next train ride his coat got dropped into his lap. Today Tenn had an umbrella with him and they both managed to act like yesterday’s incident hadn’t occurred.

Still the gears had shifted, Gaku knew it. The air of anticipation was growing thicker, tenser, and a storm was coming. One of them would have to poke the bubble and make it burst.

They were both adults, he recalled, this wasn’t high school, they should both be able to act responsibly.

Their light conversation carried on while the familiar scenery of grey concrete buildings and black power lines passed by the window, even though both were being cast in the twilight of the beginning night at this time of the year.

Tenn’s station came, but he didn’t get up, just keeping on talking about that new project at his workplace that he had been made the supervisor of, the cat video he had watched on his break, his brother’s newest book recommendation…

“Tenn, your station-“

“Hey, we’re not done with this conversation yet”, Tenn said, “I’m staying a little longer.”

The conversation was very one sided, Gaku wanted to say, but let Tenn talk. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy hearing him talk, but this was slightly awkward.

The train emptied out more and more, until the two of them were the only ones left in the train’s car. Gaku felt a certain air of romance in this situation, two people the last occupants of a train, but when he wanted to write it down he noticed that he hadn’t gotten his notebook out today.  
If he thought about it he hadn’t taken any notes on the train rides for the past few weeks… when had this started?

“Gaku?”, Tenn’s hand in front of his eyes pulled him back into reality, “Are you listening to me?”

“Sorry”, he said, “I wasn’t listening. Could you repeat that?”

“As I was saying”, Tenn said, his voice like smooth syrup, sticky and sweet and all to easy to sink into, forget everything and drown in paradise. This wasn’t a forced, one sided conversation anymore, “We need to address the elephant in the room.”

“Which elephant?”

“Don’t play dumb. We both know what I’m talking about.”

Gaku had an idea what Tenn was talking about, that was right, but he didn’t know for sure.

“Do we?”, he asked, and somehow managed to conceal his insecurity with teasing.

“I know you find me attractive, Gaku”, Tenn said, seriously explaining his point now. Gaku was grateful for that. He didn’t want to start whatever was about to start with a communication error, “And I know you are aware of your own attractiveness as well. We’re both single adults and despite all of our bickering we’re compatible.”

“So what you’re implying is…?”, Gaku waited for the answer breathlessly.

“I wouldn’t say I’m in love with you, not yet. But I would be willing to try and enter a relationship with you. I think we might work very well.”

When Gaku said nothing for a heartbeat Tenn blushed and added, “If you just want to hook up that’s fine with me too…”

“No!”, Gaku said, breathless from all the suggestions spinning in his head, “I mean, yes. I want a relationship too. I like you a lot and all the other things you said… yes. I don’t really want us to be a one-time thing.”

“I know you’re a romantic, I’ve read your books after all, but I’m not. If the relationship doesn’t work after all I won’t hesitate to break up with you”, Tenn said.

“Wait, you knew that those were my books?”

“You were hardly subtle when you asked for my opinion on them”, Tenn chuckled, “But it’s alright. I’m not trying to date you for your fame, Yamamura-sensei~”

Gaku gulped. “The next stop is mine”, he said then, “Are you coming home with me, or should I drop you off at the station for you to go back?”

“There are no more trains that stop at my station after this one”, Tenn said, cocking his head, “But if it bothers you I might as well take a taxi home…”

“It doesn’t bother me”, Gaku said, and got up, “This is the stop.”

He slung his coat over his shoulder, it wasn’t raining anymore, and got off the train. When Tenn came to a halt next to him and the wind from the train continuing its journey tousled his hair, the lights of the train station, dim despite illuminating everything, reflecting in his eyes, Gaku thought that he really was lucky.

Without a word he took Tenn’s hand that wasn’t holding his bag and tangled their fingers together.

Tenn smiled at him and squeezed his hand – it felt… natural, Gaku found, very different from the romance he wrote. He didn’t need every touch he shared with Tenn to feel like he was on cloud nine when it could simply feel natural, feel good.

In content silence they walked down the familiar road that Gaku walked every day.

“Look”, Gaku stopped to point something out to Tenn, the cold November night’s air puffing out in a little cloud in front of his face when he spoke, “See those three stars there? That’s Orion’s belt.”

“Orion? Does that have some kind of romantic story you want to tell me on our first date?”, Tenn smiled, clearly amused at his own joke.

“Not really”, Gaku answered, “I just pointed that one out because it’s easy to recognize. There’s various stories surrounding Orion, but most are pretty horrible. It’s said that he tried to marry all seven of the Pleiades, they’re a constellation too, but I think right now they’re still hidden behind the horizon. They rejected him and asked the gods for help, because he was such a pushy suitor. The gods killed Orion with a scorpion’s poison and put him into the night sky, where he’s still being chased by the scorpion and chasing after the Pleiades himself. He even took his two hunting dogs with him.”

“That’s not really a nice story”, Tenn said, “I like it.”

“How very you of you to say that”, Gaku laughed and resumed their walking. Tenn’s hand felt warm in his.

Only when they arrived at his apartment and Gaku had opened the door he began talking again: “Ryuu is working right now, so we won’t meet him.”

Tenn took his shoes off and looked around the apartment. He seemed to like it, even though it was just a small apartment two high school friends turned novelist and nurse shared, because it was convenient and they could live with each other without problems, since they knew each other so well.

“I’ll heat up the food that Ryuu left for me. He always makes too much anyways, so it won’t be a problem if I share it with you.”

While Gaku was preparing their dinner, Tenn sat down at the dinner table. His newly acquired boyfriend’s gaze on his back while he cooked – or heated up some of the leftovers, that counted as cooking too – made him squirm.

“You know, Tenn”, he said, to distract himself, “I have always thought of us as something similar to parallel lines. Never crossing, coming close to each other, spending some time like that, in close proximity for a while and then parting again.”

“That’s not how parallel lines work”, Tenn interjected, but Gaku ignored him.

“But now I think that we might be more like rails. We were like parallel lines, but one day someone turned the switch and the two rails crossed all of the sudden. That was the first time you sat next to me.”

“That’s cheesy, Gaku, making train analogies about us”, Tenn said. Gaku hadn’t noticed that he had gotten up and was standing next to him now, “Isn’t this finished already? It’s starting to turn dark.”

Quickly Gaku turned the stove off and prepared two servings of the food.

Ryuu’s cooking was as amazing as ever, and Tenn was impressed too.

“Don’t worry, you’ll meet him, he’ll be here in the morning, probably”, Gaku said, “Right… Since you’re staying overnight, do you want to-“

“I’ll take your bed”, Tenn said nonchalantly.

“Well then”, Gaku sighed, knowing that discussing this would be futile anyways, “I’ll sleep on the couch then.”

He didn’t want to overstep any boundaries by already suggesting they sleep together, when they had come to this agreement, their relationship, barely an hour ago.

“Do you need to borrow a toothbrush?”, Gaku asked when they had finished eating and he had put the dishes in the sink.

“I brought everything with me”, Tenn pointed at his bag, that did look a little fuller than normal, “I figured that you might not want to talk in a crowded train and since we’re both busy I thought I could use your hospitality.”

“You’re too well prepared”, Gaku grumbled, “It’s almost scary how well you planned this.”

Tenn only hummed and disappeared into the bathroom of the apartment. Gaku heard the shower run, and when Tenn got out a few minutes later his hair was still damp, like yesterday, when he had gotten wet from the rain. He even looked good with his sleep clothes, Gaku a little surprised to see him not wearing a shirt and suit.

That the first casual clothes Gaku would see on Tenn would be an oversized T-Shirt with the logo of a hospital – probably the one his brother worked at, it wasn’t Ryuu’s – and a print that said “get well soon” in a bright, cheery font and sweatpants…

Gaku got into the bathroom too, quickly brushing his teeth. He would shower in the morning, and there was no time for bathing, not when he had a guest.

“Mine is the left one”, Gaku said and pointed at the door to his bedroom. Tenn had been standing in front of the closed rooms, not wanting to intrude Ryuu’s privacy.

“Ah, thank you”, he said and entered. Gaku followed him.

His bedroom wasn’t big, it was a small apartment after all, but he had a nice bed, a shelf with music and books and a sound system. His desk was the only other furniture, apart from his wardrobe.

“So, you still want to sleep here?”, Gaku said, watching Tenn sit on the edge of the bed awkwardly, clearly feeling uncomfortable, “Because you’re not planning to start with the hooking u-“

“No”, Tenn decided and interrupted him, “I’m taking the couch after all. And you’re a few comfort zones away from _that_.”

“Good”, Gaku said, “You too. Let’s talk about other things another time.”

He followed Tenn into the living room, made sure that he had enough pillows and a blanket that would keep him warm. It was November already after all, the nights were cold.

“Good night, Gaku”, Tenn mumbled from under the blanket, and it reminded Gaku of the coat’s collar.

“Good night”, Gaku ruffled Tenn’s hair affectionately and pressed a light kiss to Tenn’s forehead, “A good night kiss~”

The happy hum he heard made his heart soar with the knowledge of having done something that his boyfriend liked.

Again, he didn’t want to overstep his boundaries and went to his bedroom himself, not after flipping the light switch for the living room. Tenn was already fast asleep. It must have been a long day for him too.

Getting into his own bed Gaku texted Ryuu.

**Tuesday, 6 th of November**

**10:57pm**

**From:** Gaku                                                                                                                                      
**To:** Ryuu

My boyfriend is sleeping on the couch, so try not to wake him when you come home

 

**11:05pm**

**From:** Ryuu                                                                                                                                       
**To:** Gaku

You finally asked Tenn!!! (((o(*°▽°*)o)))

 

**11:09pm**

**From:** Gaku                                                                                                                                      
**To:** Ryuu

He asked me actually, but the result is the same, so yeah. I’m tired now though, so bye bye, see you tomorrow.

 

**11:13pm**

**From:** Ryuu                                                                                                                                      
**To:** Gaku

I’m happy for you and good night (⌒‿⌒)

 

When Gaku fell asleep the light of the streetlamp outside of his window fell on the piece of paper on his desk.

The beginning of a story was written onto the paper, a story of slowly letting go of an old routine to adapt a newer, happier one.

The Universe’s Shifting Gears

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Leave a comment if you liked it :D
> 
> If you want to scream at me about anything you can do so on my [twitter](https://twitter.com/eins__kai) or [tumblr](https://einskai.tumblr.com/)~
> 
> Have a nice day!
> 
> \- Kai


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